Display method, apparatus and system

Abstract

A cone for use in a Pepper's Ghost illusion includes a conical wall of semi-reflective material, and an attachment member for removably attaching the cone to the surface of a light emissive display, and a method of displaying a Pepper's Ghost illusion includes positioning a cone of semi-reflective material onto a light emissive display; and displaying on the light emissive display an image that has been distorted by an inverse of a distortion caused by a reflection of the cone.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A system, comprising:
 a docking station comprising a cone ( 100 ) for use in a Pepper's Ghost illusion, the cone comprising a conical wall of semi-reflective material ( 100 ); 
 the docking station providing a known physical relationship between the cone and a dockable device when the dockable device is docked; 
 the dockable device comprising a light emissive display ( 418 ) adapted to display images that have been distorted by an inverse of the distortion caused by the reflection of the cone; 
 the docking station comprising a physical engagement detector other than a touch surface operable to detect the proper engagement of the dockable device with the docking station; 
 the dockable device comprising a positioning processor ( 410 ) operable to position images, which have been distorted by the inverse of the distortion caused by the reflection of the cone, responsive to the known physical relationship between the cone and the dockable device. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , in which the conical wall is assembled from a flat arcuate sheet ( 102 ), the flat arcuate sheet comprising one or more engaging means ( 104 ,  106 ) at the two ends of the sheet. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , in which the attachment member comprises a sucker ( 210 ). 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , in which the attachment member is separable from the cone, and comprises:
 a truncated cone retention arrangement  220  that in turn comprises; and 
 one or more slots  222  for receiving a truncated tip of a cone. 
 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 4 , in which at least part of one or more of the slots is flexible. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , in which the attachment member is separable from the cone, and comprises a pointed cone retention arrangement  230  that in turn comprises one or more studs  232  for engaging with respective holes near the tip of a pointed cone. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 6 , in which at least one stud is mushroom shaped. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 1 , in which the attachment member comprises a portion that corresponds in shape to a part of a device comprising the light emissive display and having a known position relative to an intended location of the cone over the display. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 1 , comprising
 a cone storage system in which the conical wall is assembled from a flat arcuate sheet ( 102 ), the flat arcuate sheet comprising one or more engaging means ( 104 ,  106 ) at the two ends of the sheet; and 
 a storage tube for retaining the flat arcuate sheet when rolled up. 
 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 9 , comprising an attachment member in turn comprising:
 a cone retention arrangement ( 220 ,  230 ); 
 wherein the cone retention arrangement acts as a lid for the storage tube. 
 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 1 , comprising an inverse distortion processor ( 410 ) operable to distort an image by the inverse of the distortion caused by the reflection of the cone. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 1 , in which the sensor further comprises one or more of:
 i. a touch surface on the light emissive display; and 
 ii. a camera having a known physical relationship to the light emissive display.